Andalusian Sea Bream

Ingredients

• 800 g flesh tomatoes (4 flesh tomatoes)
• 3 Garlic cloves
• 10 thyme sprigs
• 5 tbsp olive oil
• 250 g baby eggplant (6 baby eggplants)
• Salt
• Pepper
• 0.5 lemon
• 100 ml tomato juice
• 350 ml veal stock
• 50 g sun‑dried tomatoes (oil‑free)
• 50 g green olives (pitted)
• 2 basil stems
• 480 g sea bream fillets (8 fillets)

Instructions

1. 1.

   The day before, briefly blanch the flesh tomatoes in boiling water, remove them, rinse with cold water and peel off the skins. Cut the tomatoes horizontally in half, leaving the stem ends intact.

2. 2.

   Using a spoon, scoop out the seeds from the tomato halves. Place the tomatoes cut‑side up on a baking sheet.

3. 3.

   Peel and chop 2 garlic cloves. Wash and dry 8 thyme sprigs. Add the garlic, one thyme sprig, and a few drops of olive oil to the tomatoes. Dry in a preheated oven at 70 °C (convection 50 °C, gas: level 1) for about 4 hours. Remove the tomatoes and cover them overnight in the refrigerator.

4. 4.

   The next day wash, trim, and halve the eggplant lengthwise; score the flesh several times. Place on a baking sheet and drizzle with 2 tbsp olive oil. Season the eggplant with salt and pepper. Wash and dry the remaining thyme, remove the leaves, and chop finely. Peel and finely chop the remaining garlic. Sprinkle the thyme leaves and garlic over the eggplant. Roast in a preheated oven at 180 °C (convection 160 °C, gas: level 2–3) for about 25 minutes.

5. 5.

   Squeeze half a lemon. Separate the flesh from four eggplant halves, finely chop it, and season with a little lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a bowl.

6. 6.

   Reduce tomato juice with veal stock to half volume in a small pot. Strain through a fine sieve into another pot.

7. 7.

   Dice the sun‑dried tomatoes finely; add them to the tomato‑stock mixture and bring back to a boil. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

8. 8.

   Finely chop the olives. Wash, dry, and tear basil leaves, coarsely chop them, then mix with the olives.

9. 9.

   Fill the lower tomato halves with some eggplant mixture. Spoon half of the olive‑basil blend over them. Combine with the upper tomato halves and the roasted eggplant in a preheated oven at 120 °C (convection not recommended, gas: level 1) to warm through.

10. 10.

    Meanwhile pat the sea bream fillets dry and cut them crosswise into halves.

11. 11.

    Brush lightly with the remaining olive oil and season with salt.

12. 12.

    Heat a grill pan and sear each side of the sea bream fillets for about 3 minutes, starting with the skin side down.

13. 13.

    Re‑boil the tomato‑olive sauce. Add the remaining olive‑basil mixture. Arrange tomatoes, sea bream, and eggplant decoratively on plates and drizzle with the hot sauce.